Liquid supply

Abstract

In one example, an ink supply assembly that may be installed into a printer as a single unit while holding ink includes a first sub-assembly having a primary container to hold ink and a secondary container enclosing the primary container and configured to fit inside the printer. The assembly also includes a a second sub-assembly having an ink supply to receive ink from the primary container through a conduit and to deliver ink to a printhead.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ink supply assembly to be installed into a printer as a single unit while holding ink, the assembly comprising:
 a first sub-assembly including a primary container to hold ink and a secondary container enclosing the primary container, the secondary container to fit inside the printer, the secondary container to be pressurized via an inlet when the secondary container is installed inside the printer; 
 a second sub-assembly including an ink supply to receive ink from the primary container and to deliver ink to a printhead; and 
 a conduit connected between the primary container and the ink supply. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising ink in the primary container, the ink supply, and the conduit prior to installation in the printer. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the ink supply includes a pressure regulator to establish a negative pressure inside the ink supply when the assembly is primed with ink. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the ink supply includes a space to hold ink and a pressure regulator to establish a negative pressure inside the ink space when the assembly is primed with ink. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the primary container has a capacity sufficient to hold enough ink to print a minimum number of pages that corresponds to a predetermined expected useful life of the printer. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first sub-assembly includes multiple primary containers and a single secondary container enclosing all of the primary containers, wherein each of the multiple primary containers is a two-sided unpleated collapsible bag, wherein the multiple primary containers are arranged diagonally and single file in a row such that each succeeding primary container rests against and partially overlaps the preceding primary container in the row, and such that a cross section of each of the multiple primary containers has a parallelogram shape; 
 the second sub-assembly includes multiple ink supplies ganged together to install as a unit into a carriage in the printer; and 
 the conduit comprises multiple conduits each connected between a primary container and a corresponding ink supply. 
 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a different color ink in each of the respective connected primary containers, ink supplies, and conduits prior to installation in the printer. 
     
     
       8. A unit to be installed into a printer, comprising:
 multiple bags each to hold ink off-axis; 
 a single housing containing the bags, wherein the housing is to be pressurized via an inlet when the unit is installed inside the printer; 
 multiple rigid containers each to hold liquid on-axis for delivery to a printhead, the containers ganged as a unit and each container to establish a negative pressure inside the container when the supply unit is primed with liquid; and 
 
       a loop of flexible conduits each connected between an ink bag and a container. 
     
     
       9. The unit of  claim 8 , wherein each container is to establish a negative pressure inside the container when the supply unit is primed with liquid. 
     
     
       10. The unit of  claim 8 , wherein the multiple bags are to hold a lifetime supply of ink for a predetermined expected useful life of the printer. 
     
     
       11. The unit of  claim 10 , wherein the housing is to contain the bags diagonally and single file in a row such that each succeeding bag rests against and partially overlaps the preceding bag in the row, and such that a cross section of each of the bags has a parallelogram shape. 
     
     
       12. The unit of  claim 11 , further comprising a different color ink in each of the respective connected bags, containers, and conduits prior to installation in the printer. 
     
     
       13. A method, comprising:
 connecting a first sub-assembly including a primary ink container and a second sub-assembly including an ink supply chamber to receive ink from the primary container and to deliver ink to a printhead; 
 priming the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly with ink; and 
 shipping the primed, connected sub-assemblies from one location to another location, 
 wherein the primary ink container is enclosed by a secondary container, 
 wherein the secondary container is pressurized after the primed, connected sub-assemblies are installed into a printer. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, after shipping, installing the primed, connected sub-assemblies into the printer. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the primary ink container holds a lifetime supply of ink for a predetermined expected useful life of the printer. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the primary ink container is one of multiple bags enclosed by the secondary container, wherein each of the multiple bags stores a different color ink, wherein the multiple bags are arranged diagonally and single file in a row such that each succeeding bag rests against and partially overlaps the preceding bag in the row. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary container comprises a vent to depressurize an interior of the second container. 
     
     
       18. The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the secondary container comprises a triangular shaped spacer to maintain a diagonal arrangement of the multiple primary containers within the secondary container. 
     
     
       19. The unit of  claim 8 , wherein the housing comprises a triangular shaped spacer to maintain a diagonal arrangement of the multiple bags within the single housing.